Health Innovation Blog Innovations that advance personal and population health

Staying fit and healthy can seem a daunting mission.  Made even more remote behind a myriad of excuses – lack of time or access to the right resources or the finances or the immediate peer support…and on and on.  Often, though, the path to improved health is closer to an arm’s length away than a marathon distance.  Take physical fitness.  Those intimidated by fitness club memberships and cardio workouts might be surprised to learn the most effective personal trainer may already be within their own home – sleeping on the sofa or chasing squirrels up the bird feeder. 

Recent studies indicate dog walkers are more active than their dog-less counterparts.   Michigan State University just announced 60% of dog owners who join their four-legged companions on regular walks meet federal criteria for moderate or vigorous exercise through this activity alone.  Having a canine exercise partner, it turns out, is more valuable than a human one – a University of Missouri study proving older adults are more likely to walk regularly when their walking partners are dogs.  And dogs aren’t only helping their owners log more minutes of exercise – they also are helping increase activity intensity – spurring walking speeds 25% higher than dog-less walks.

Aside from more fresh air (and happier household pooches) are there tangible benefits to dog-based exercise?  It appears so.  Exercise and preventive care researchers are finding those who regularly walk their dogs have one-third the risk of diabetes, lower rates of depression and high blood pressure and improved prognosis in battling chronic diseases.  Those are some tail wagging worthy advantages.

Aside from validating the unofficial moniker of “man’s best friend,” what’s the point of these findings?  We believe they validate two important elements of effective health improvement – simplicity and accountability.  The reason people are less intimidated by walking their dog over other exercise is it seems less intimidating (but doing it regularly can be considerably effective.)  And the reason many individuals are more consistent with their dog walking than they are with exercise with friends or family is there’s an immediate exercise-based accountability dog owners feel with their pets.  The dog needs to be walked…the neighbor, they can walk on their own.

The lesson for employers hoping to get employees engaged in their health?  Make getting healthy seem relatively easy within a structure effectively emboldening individual accountability.  Because healthy results are better than endlessly chasing your tail.